Sitting Down with Samantha Brown – Her Top Six Southern Destinationsby Apryl Chapman Thomas

She is a familiar face on the Travel Channel.

For the past 10 years, Samantha Brown has enthusiastically introduced viewers to various destinations from around the world. Currently, she's highlighting weekend getaways through her series, “Samantha Brown's Great Weekends.”

And speaking of getaways, SHM Traveler Magazine had the opportunity to ask her about her favorite destinations in the South. The travel host with some southern roots (born in Dallas Texas; briefly lived in Richmond, Va.) happily obliged.

Brown says Savannah is easily one of her favorite destinations in the region. She marvels at all of history within the city, and loves the European feel of it as well.

“I always recommend Savannah to travelers who have urge for something European, but don't like the high Euro exchange rate right now.”

One place that Brown always heads to when visiting is the Savannah Bee Company, located on Broughton Street in downtown. Saying it offers a “taste of Savannah,” it's home to everything honey, including a tasting bar and an interactive area. Brown says she loves the way the shop has change the way people interact and understand where the product comes from.

“My first journey back to the South was to the Blue Ridge Mountains,” she recalls. “I was filming an episode for Great Vacation Homes, my first job for the Travel Channel and was on the way to show a home in this area. The drive was absolutely beautiful.”

En route to the home, along the Parkway, she discovered Penland School of Crafts (Penland, N.C.). She visited the gallery, where students sell their works.

“When I'm on the road, I'm always looking for affordable local art to purchase, and I was especially interested here, because it focuses on crafts. You know, when you buy a piece of art, you hang it up, look at it and that's it. With crafts, it becomes a part of your home and lifestyle. Say you purchase a spoon or a quilt, you're going to use it again and again.”

Brown says amazed by the level and quality of the work created by the artists.

Being a frequent flier on Delta Airlines, sometimes Brown spends more time in the terminals at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport than in Atlanta itself. However, when she is in the city, she's at the Georgia Aquarium.

“I love aquariums, and this one is unbelievably outstanding. Bar none, it's the best aquarium around.”

“You can see more fish in one day than Jacques Cousteau saw in his lifetime.”

“Coming from New York City, I've seen my share of insects and thought I wouldn't want to look at the a museum. But here, you really learn to respect them. And for kids, there's an opportunity to sample some.”